JOINTT RKPORTT 



OF THE 



IITED STATES AND BRITISH COMMISSIONERS 



ON THE 



ALASKAN-CANADIAN BOUNDARY. 



IDECEDS^BEim 31, 18©5. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT PRINTING OFFICE. 
1898. 



JOINT" RBPORT 



UNITED STATES AND BRITISH COMMISSIONERS 



ALASKAN-CANADIAN BOUNDARY. 



IDECE3>^BEI?, 31, 1S95. 



WASHINGTON: 

GOVERNMENT I' R I N T I N G O F K I C E . 
1898. 






vi 






ALASKAN-CANADIAN BOUNDARY 



The undersigned, William Ward Duffield, on be- 
half of the United States of America, and William 
Frederick King, on behalf of Her Britannic Maj- 
esty, duly appointed Commissioners under and by 
virtue of the first article of the Convention of July 
2 2, 1892, between the United States and the United 
Kingdom of Great Britain and Ireland, have the 
honor to submit the following joint report of our 
proceedings and transactions under the said first ar- 
ticle of the Convention, which reads as follows : 

The High Contracting Parties agree that a coincident 
or joint survey (as may be found in practice most conven- 
ient) shall be made of the territory adjacent to that part 
of the boundary line of the United States of America and 
the Dominion of Canada dividing the territory of Alaska 
from the Province of British Columbia and the North- 
west Territory of Canada from the latitude of 54° 40' 
North, to the point where the said boundary line encoun- 
ters the 141st degree of longitude westward from the me- 
ridian of Greenwich, by Commissioners to be appointed 
severally by the High Contracting Parties, with a view to 
the ascertainment of the facts and data necessary to the 
permanent delimitation of said boundary line, in accord- 
ance with the spirit and intent of the existing treaties in 
regard to it between Great Britain and Russia and be- 
tween the United States and Russia. 

Application will be made without delay to the respec- 



tive legislative bodies for the appropriations necessary 
for the prosecution of the survey, and the Commissioners 
to be appointed by the two Governments shall meet at 
Ottawa within two months after said appropriation shall 
have been made and shall proceed as soon as practicable 
thereafter to the active discharge of their duties. 

The respective Commissions shall complete the survey 
and submit their final reports thereof within two years 
from their first meeting. 

The Commissioners shall, so far as they may be able 
to agree, make a joint report to each of the two Govern- 
ments, and they shall also report either jointly or sever- 
ally, to each Government on any points upon which they 
may be unable to agree. 

Each Government shall pay the expenses of the Com- 
mission appointed by it. 

Each Government engages to facilitate in every pos- 
sible way any operations which, in pursuance of the plan 
to be agreed upon by the Commissioners, may be con- 
ducted within its territory by the Commission of the 
other. 

The High Contracting Parties agree that, as soon as 
practicable after the report, or reports, of the Commis- 
sioners shall have been received, they will proceed to con- 
sider and establish the boundary line in question. 

The first meeting of tlie ( Commissioners appointed 
imder this article was held in Ottawa on the 28th 
day of November, 1892. By the supplementary 
Convention of the 3d February, 1894, the time 
for the completion of the work and the submission 
by the Commissioners of their joint or separate 
reports, which, by the former convention expired 
two years from the date of the first meetino; of the 
Commissioners — that is to say, on the 28th No- 
vember, 1894, was extended to the 31st December, 
1895. 



The treaties relating to and defining the interna- 
tional boundary line between Canada and the 
United States of America in the region in question 
are the treaty between Great Britain and Russia, 
dated 28-16 February, 1825, and the treaty between 
the United States and Russia dated 30th March, 
1867. 

Our Commission, under said Article i of the 
Convention of 1892, applies only to that portion of 
the boundary described in these treaties from the 
southernmost point of Prince of Wales Island to 
the one hundred and forty-first meridian. 

With a view to the performance of the duty im- 
posed upon the Commissioners under the Conven- 
tion of ascertaining the facts and data necessary to 
the permanent delimitation of the boundary line, 
and under the option allowed them of making either 
a coincident or joint survey. Dr. Thomas C. Men- 
den liall, at the time Commissioner for the United 
States (since replaced by the undersigned, William 
Ward Duffield), together with the undersigned Brit- 
ish Commissioner, ha\'ing considered the large 
extent of unknown territory involved and the com- 
paratively short time allowed for the survey, deter- 
mined that it was advisable to make the survey a 
joint one ; that is, to partition among the officers 
W(jrking under them respectively the territory to 
be surveyed, arranging at the same time that each 
Commissioner should detail attaches to accompany 
the several surveying parties of the other, for the 
purpose of observing and verifving tlieir work. 

The United States Commissioner undertook to 
make surveys of as precise a nature as practicable of 



6 

the principal water courses which traverse the coast 
strip, and the Britisli Commissioner undertook to 
make a photo-topoq-raphical survey of the moun- 
tainous regions lying between these various water 
courses. 

A preliminary trignometrical survey of the prin- 
cipal deep-water passages, including the continental 
shore line from Portland Canal to Lynn Canal, had 
already been completed by the United States Coast 
and Geodetic Survey ; and careful determinations 
of the geographical positions of Mount St. Elias 
(as hereinafter given) and of various mountain 
peaks in that region were made by the same organi- 
zation in 1892, at which time a partial survey of the 
shore line of \\akutat Bay was also made. This 
completed work helped to coordinate the detached 
surveys of the various parties sent out by the two 
Commissioners. 

In pursuance of this plan, during the year 1893, 
the following gentlemen were given parties on be- 
half of the United States, namely: 

Mr. Dickins, on the Unuk River. 

Mr. Tittmann, on the Stikine River. 

Mr. McGrath, on the Taku Inlet. 

Mr. Ogden, on the Taku River. 

Their duties were to make surveys of these water 
ways, and to procure as much information as pos- 
sible as to the topography of the adjacent regions 
Mr. Driscoll accompanied Mr. Ogden as attache 
a})pointed by the British Commissioner, and Mr. 
Robertson accompanied Mr. Tittmann in a like 
capacity. Mr. Dickins' survey of the Unuk River 
was made in conjunction with Mr. Saint-Cyr, of 



7 

the British Commission, who, besides making a 
traverse of the Unuk River, paid particular atten- 
tion to the mountainous regions on either side of 
the river. 

On behalf of the British Commission, the follow- 
ing gentlemen were placed under instructions to 
make topograpical surveys as full and complete as 
their means would allow: 

Mr. Saint-Cyr, the Unuk River and the moun- 
tainous region on either side of it. 

Mr, Klotz, adjoining him to the west and north- 
west towards Bradfield Canal. 

Mr. Talbot, to the south and east of the Stikine. 

Mr. Gibbons, to the west of the Stikine. 

Mr. Brabazon, at Holkham Bay, on the east side 
of Stephen's Passage. 

Mr. McArthur, at Snettisham Bay, and thence to 
Taku Inlet and Taku River. 

Mr. Ogilvie, to the north and west of Taku Inlet 
and east of Lynn Canal. 

The attaches of the United States Commissioner 
accompanying them were as follows: 

Mr. Flemer with Mr. Talbot. 

Mr. Pratt with Mr. Gibbons. 

Mr. Ritter with Mr. Brabazon. 

Mr. Welker with Mr. McArthur. 

Mr. Hodgkins with Mr. Ogilvie. 

Mr. Dickins working with Mr. Saint-Cyr as above 
stated. 

In addition to the above, the United States Com- 
missioner stationed Mr, Morse at Sitka to make 
astronomical observations for the determination of 
chronometric differences of lonrntude between Sitka, 



9, 

as a base station, and the observatories established 
by Mr. Dickins at Burrou^rhs Bay, with Dr. Ed- 
monds as observer; by Mr. Tittmann at Fort Wran- 
gell, with Mr. Putnam as observer; and by Mr. Ogden 
at the mouth of the Taku River, with Mr. French 
as observer. At each of the above stations latitude 
and longitude were also determined. The United 
States steamer Hassler was employed throughout 
the season in making the necessary exchanges of 
time, the chronometers being in charge of Mr. Lord. 

The parties were on the ground and the work 
begun in the middle of May; and the early snow 
falls rendering mountain work impossible, it was 
found necessary to retire from the field in September. 

During the following year, 1894, the following 
parties were placed in the field : 

On behalf of the United States Commission — 

Mr. Pratt, on the Chilkat Inlet and River and on 
Chilkoot and Taiya Inlets and Taiya River, he being 
engaged chiefly in triangulation. 

Mr. Dickins, on Unuk River and Chilkat Inlet. 

Mr. Flemer, on Chilkoot and Taiya Inlets. 

Mr. Ritter, on Chilkat Inlet and River. 

Mr. McGrath, on the coast westward from Yaku- 
tat Bay and at Lituya Bay. 

Mr. Morse, at the Sitka longitude station. 

Latitude and longitude were determined at the 
observatory at Anchorage Point, Pyramid Harbor, 
the steamer Hassler making the necessarv chronom- 
eter trips as before. 

Mr. Ilayford made the observations at Pyramid 
Harbor, and Mr. Page had charge of the chronome- 
ters on the Hassler. 



On behalf of the British Commission — 

Mr. Saint-Cyr, at the head of the Portland ('anal 
and thence to the Chickamin River. 

Mr. Klotz, around Bradfield Canal. 

Mr. Gibbons, on the north of Frederick Sound 
from Horn Cliffs to Port Houghton. 

Mr. Ogilvie, on the east coast of Lynn Canal, 
also on the outer coast beyond Cape Spencer. 

Mr. Mc Arthur, at the north end of Lynn Canal 
and later on the outer coast at Lituya Bay. 

Mr. Talbot, on the west side of Lynn Canal to- 
ward Glacier F3ay. 

Mr. l^obertson acc(^mpanied Mr. Pratt's party as 
attache for the British Commissioner. Except in 
this instance, the system of attaches was discon- 
tinued by mutual consent of the Commissioners. 

During the winter of 1894-95, a party under Mr. 
Ogilvie ascended the Taku River for the purpose of 
gaining additional information as to the region ex- 
tending thence to the vicinity of White and Taiya 
Passes, which lead from Lynn Canal to the interior; 
but, on account of tempestuous weather, the expe- 
dition was obliged to return, having accomplished 
nothing beyond a traverse survey of part of Taku 
River. 

During the season of 1895, Mr. Brabazon was de- 
tailed by the British Commissioner to the region 
lying between the mouth of the Alsek River and 
\^ikutat Bay. 

Mr. Welker and Mr. Dickins were sent by the 
United States Commissioner to connect the surveys 
made in former years by the United States Coast 
and Geodetic Survev in Portland Canal with those 



10 

in Revillagis^cdo Channel, and to determine more 
accurately the longitude of the stations along the 
Canal. 

Mr. Dickins and Mr. Welker were placed in 
charge of parties in Alaska, and Mr. Morse was sta- 
tioned at Seattle as astronomer for the redetermina- 
tion of the differences of longitude between that 
point and the observatories at Port Simpson, B. C, 
at Mary Island, Alaska, and at a station at the head 
of Portland Canal. The observations for latitude 
and longitude were made by Mr. French at Port 
Simpson, by Mr. Dickens at Mary Island, and by 
Mr. Welker at Lion Point, Portland Canal. 

Mr. Young was in charge of the chronometers 
carried by the steamer City of Topcka between 
Seattle and the stations at Port Simpson and Mary 
Island. 

Comparisons l)etween Port Simpson and Lion 
Point were effected by the United States launch 
Fiica. 

The results of all these surveys are exhibited in 
the accompanying maps, namely, sheets Nos. i to 
24, made on a scale of i7;ijjy777r ^^'ith contour lines 
of elevations 250 feet apart, from the surveys of the 
British Commission ; and in maps Nos. i to 1 2 of 
the United States Commission, made on the same 
scale. 

These ma):»s have been agreed to by us, subject to 
the limitations hereinafter set forth, as correct repre- 
sentations of the topographical features, and have 
been signed by us to testif\' thereto. In submitting 
two sets of ma})s which cover the same ground and 
which, to a large extent, have been ])repared inde- 



n 

pendcntly in the offices of the respective Commis- 
sioners at Washin2;ton and Ottawa, it is understood 
that wherever there is a difference between the 
maps, either from different methods of representing 
the topography or from discrepancy as to the posi- 
tion of natural features or otherwise, such difference 
is to be interpreted by reference to the hereinbefore- 
described scheme of partition of the survey work 
between the respective Commissions ; and where the 
surveys cover the same, or nearly the same ground, 
the maps are to be taken as mutually explanatory, 
having regard to the conditions under which each 
survey was made. The continental shore line, from 
latitude 54'', 40', to Point Coverdon, at the south- 
westerly entrance to Lynn Canal, having been sur- 
veyed l)y the United States Coast and Geodetic 
Survey, the United States maps shall, in case of 
discrepancy, govern as to the shore line ; so also 
from Yakutat Bay to the 6ne hundred and forty-first 
meridian. But from Point Coverdon northwesterly 
to Yakutat Bay, including Glacier Bay and the 
other l)ays which, with the exception to the entrance 
to Lituya Bay, have not been so surveyed, the maps 
of the British Commission shall govern. The shore 
line of the islands of the Alaskan archipelago have 
been mapped according to the surveys of the United 
States Coast and Geodetic Survey, wherever such 
survey has been made; elsewhere the best informa- 
tion available has been used. 

To show the topographical features of the coun- 
try in another way, we herewith submit photo- 
graphic views, being contact prints from the pho- 
tographic negatives of the officers of the British 



12 

Commission, whose work was laro;ely executed as 
to the detail, or "filling in" l)y means of these views, 
aceording to the method known as photo-tojiogra- 
phy, the framework being laid out by triangulations 
which are shown in sheets Nos. 25, 26, 27, and 28 
of the British Commission. These views will also 
serve as a permanent record of the field work. Plans 
of the triangulation executed by the officers of the 
United States Commission are submitted herewith 
on sheet No. 13 of the United States Commission. 

Besides the information contained in the maps, 
we have to report as to the point of commencement 
named in the Treaty of 1825, that the latitudes of 
Capes Muzon and Chacon as determined by the 
British observers are as follows : 

Cape Muzon, 54*^ 39' 50". 

Cape Chacon, 54° 41' 25". 

As determined bv the United States observers 
these latitudes are: 

Cape Muzon, 54° 39' 48". 

Cape Chacon, 54° 41' 22". 

These results are so nearlv alike that tliere is no 
practical (liscrej)ancv between them. 

Also, the summit of Mount St. Elias is bv the 
best determination in latitude 60° 17' 35.10" and 
longitude 140° 55' 47.32", being 28.830 nautical miles 
from the line of coast west of Vakutat Bay and 2.41 
statute miles east of the one huntlrctl and f()rt\-first 
meridian. 

We conceive it unnecessary for us, having pre- 
])ared maps showing so much detail, to enter into a 
lengthy description of the topography. It may be 
well, however, to add some remarks uj)on the mode 



I ;; 



of occurrence of timber, since this is not sliown on 
the ma})s. 

Speakings broadly, we may say that the averai^^e 
altitude of the timber line between Burrough's Bay 
and Lynn Canal is 2,500 feet, beino^ a little hi^rher 
in the south and a little lower in the north. Timber 
line is primarily a matter of heat, so that altitude 
and latitude have similar effect. However, in a 
country of which so much has but recently been 
uncovered from glaciers, timber line is affected by 
another factor, and that is the presence of soil for 
trees to take root. As the foot of a mountain is 
first exposed, the forest starts there and in time, as 
exposure and consequent disintegration take place, 
creeps upward. Now, there are many points in the 
area above referred to where this process of forest 
creeping has not yet reached the limit set by climatic 
conditions, and hence we find timber lines near each 
other, but varving in altitude bv hundreds of feet. 
This is most noticeable on the west side of Lynn 
Canal. Naturally, we would expect the timber line 
in the south to be higher than in the north; but, as a 
matter of fact, it is the reverse there, being scarcely 
2,000 feet for the former and nearlv 3,000 feet for the 
latter. In general, the timber line on the east side 
of Lynn Canal is somewhat higher than on the west 
side. Around Juneau, the timber line does not 
reach the 2,000 feet limit. Between the entrance 
of Glacier Bay, across Dundas and Taylor Bays and 
Cape Spencer, the timber line may be put at 2,000 
feet above the sea. In Glacier Bay, northward from 
the entrance, the timi)er line rapidly descends, and 
in the northern j)art the forest [)ractically disappears 



'4 

altogether. In fact, aloniL^: manv of the smaller hays 
there, no wood whatever is found. This phenome- 
non is plainly indicative of the recent recession of 
the vast complex of f^laciers. On the outside, be- 
tween Lituya Bay and Caj)e Spencer, the line is 
barely 2,000 feet, while in N'akutat Bay it is 1,500 
feet. Most of the mountains between Yakutat Bay 
and Lituya Bay are not timbered at all; but this is 
probably due — up to 2,000 feet — to the fact already 
stated, /. c, that the recession of the glaciers is too 
recent to admit of the necessary disintegration for 
vegetation to spring up, as well as to the effect \\\nm 
the temperature of the nearness of the existing 
glaciers. 

The altitude of the timber line at various points 
is as follows: 



Portland Canal 

Unuk River 

Burrough's Ray 

Bradfield's Canal 

South of Stikine 

North of Stikine 

Thomas Bay 

Endicoit Arm 

Snettisham Bay 

Taku Inlet 

East side Lynn Canal 

Head of Lynn Canal 

Westside of Lynn Canal 

Outside, west of Cape Spencer, 



Maximum. 



2, 600 
2, 900 
2, Soo 
2, 700 
2, 700 



2, 500 

2, 700 



2, 900 

3, 000 
2, 400 
I, =;oo 



Average. 



2, 500 
2, 600 
2, 500 
2, 500 
2, 500 
2, 500 
2, 500 
2, 300 
2, 400 
2, 200 
2, 500 
2, 500 
2,000 



It is understood and agreed that in signing this 
joint report and signing and accepting the maps 
they have submitted, it is not therefore affirmed or 



15 

admitted by the Commissioners that there is au- 
thority for the application of the names used to 
desio;nate the various places, mountains, bays, chan- 
nels, islands, etc. 

In witness whereof we have hereunto set our 
hands at Albany, New York, this 31st day of De- 
cember, 1895. 

W. W. DUKFIKLI), 

United States Conniiissioncr. 

W. F. KiNc, 
Her Majesty s Connnissioner. 



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